Inquest into Indigenous woman's death in Prince George RCMP holding cell recommends 24/7 monitoring

A coroner's inquest into the death of an Indigenous woman in Prince George RCMP holding cells has recommended that officers staff a detention guard 24/7 to see if people in custody are in medical distress.

Lindsey Izony, 35, died in the early hours of July 20, 2019, of methamphetamine toxicity after being arrested in a park the previous day.

B.C.'s police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), had found that she died accidentally and did not find negligence in the way she was treated by officers and jail guards who monitored her that night.

The coroner's inquest jury, after five days of hearing from witnesses, recorded an accidental cause of death, and made a number of recommendations to official bodies.

They include a recommendation to RCMP to have a cell guard on duty 24/7 in the Prince George detachment, and for the detachment to review its oversight structure between cell guards and other officers.

The RCMP were also issued a recommendation to implement 24/7 medical support for Prince George cell facilities, and ensure a secondary method to access individual cells, if needed.

There were also recommendations to the province to ensure accessible social services and education regarding substance use for members of First Nations in the Prince George area.

In addition, the jury recommended the RCMP update their training for detention guards and officers regarding illicit drugs, how to recognize their effects on a body and when to seek medical attention.

Recommendations from coroner's inquests are not legally binding. They serve to determine the facts of death and make recommendations to prevent deaths in similar circumstances.

Naloxone administered

An IIO report into Izony's death said she and another person were arrested in a park on July 19, 2019, after reports of a disturbance there.

Police arrested her without incident, according to the report, which said that officers indicated the plan was to hold Izony in custody until she was sober enough to be released.

She was put into cells just after 9:40 p.m. PT on July 19, according to the report. The 36-year-old was reported to be constantly moving around the cell and yelling.

Izony continued moving erratically and shouting, according to the report, until around 3:45 a.m. PT on July 20, when she started moving on the floor of the cell.

Just before 4 a.m. PT, a cell guard checked on her, believing she may have had a seizure.

"He entered the cell and tried to talk to [Izony], but she was unresponsive, moaning and occasionally screaming as if hallucinating," reads the IIO report.

"An ambulance was called for a female 'OD'ing,' and [the cell guard] administered Naloxone to [Izony], who reacted violently to the drug, kicking and flailing."

Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, but were unable to resuscitate Izony. The IIO said that the evidence supported a conclusion that the monitoring of Izony while she was in custody was satisfactory.

"There is no evidence that any officer used inappropriate force on [Izony], or that any officer neglected his or her duty in caring for [Izony] while she was in police custody," the report says.